1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a golf cart and, more particularly, is concerned with a scooting and coasting golf cart tricycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Golf is a very popular sport participated in by millions of people, young and old alike. It is one of a very limited number of sports that can be played with success by the elderly and which offers them some useful exercise. Some golfers walk and manually pull golf carts to transport their golf bags filled with clubs. Other golfers ride and transport their golf bags on motorized riding carts.
Many golfers who use manually pulled golf carts get too much exercise and thus experience a deterioration in their playing skills during play on the later holes of a round. On the other hand, golfers who use motorized riding carts may get too little exercise and thus miss out on some important benefits of the sport. A golf cart would be desirable which allows each golfer to decide when to walk and when to ride so as to select the desired amount of exercise.
An alternative type of golf cart has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,695 to Bradt to provide golfers with the option of walking part of the time and riding the rest of the time. The cited patent discloses a self-propelled golf cart having a frame supported by a pair of rear drive wheels and a single front steerable wheel and, in turn, supporting a riding platform. An upright section which projects upwardly from the middle of the platform has a cross bar at its upper end with hand holds for persons to grip standing on the platform between the rear wheels. A steering wheel is provided on the frame forwardly of the upright section for steering the front wheel. The golf cart is self-propelled by a pair of electric motors drivingly connected by drive chains to the rear wheels and a pair of batteries mounted on the platform for supplying power to the motors. A foot-actuated control level extends upwardly through the platform for actuating forward drive motion. A hitch pole is pivotally mounted to the front of the frame for manually pulling the golf cart. The cart has to be towed behind the golfer's vehicle.
While the self-propelled golf cart of the cited patent is a step in the right direction, it does not appear to be a practical solution. The self-propelled golf cart by having a pair of electric motors and a pair of batteries is too heavy to pull over the golf course. The construction of the golf cart does not lend itself to being folded for storage and transport in the trunk of a vehicle. Instead, the golf cart has to be towed behind the vehicle. The upright section on the golf cart which golfers grip while riding the golf cart in standing position appears to partially block access to the steering wheel for steering the front wheel. In summary, the golf cart of the cited patent is too clumsy, heavy and expensive to constitute a satisfactory solution.
Thus, a need still exists for a combined walking and riding golf cart which will overcome the drawbacks of the golf cart of the cited patent.